Thursday, November 07, 2013

How to Use a Pressure Cooker: Mashed Potatoes in 10 Minutes!

Whoa! How is it November already?? It seems like this fall
has flown by like nobody’s business. Well, since we’re here and it’s only THREE
WEEKS AWAY (!!!), let’s start talking turkey…specifically the holiest of all
holy days for foodies: Thanksgiving.

And what is one of the number one side dishes for any
Thanksgiving Day feast?

Mashed potatoes.

White potatoes, sweet potatoes, either way they have to be
cooked first. This post really isn't about a recipe, per say, than it is procedure. I love using my pressure cooker for making
mashed potatoes, and I can have them ready from raw-to-gravied in 10 minutes
flat! From scratch! Let’s face it, stove and oven real estate on Thanksgiving Day are very
valuable, so anything that can help me free up time and stove top space is a win-win for me.

If you are not comfortable using a pressure cooker, mashed
potatoes are probably one of the easiest things to practice on. Be sure to
follow the cooking directions for your particular pressure cooker and you’ll be
fine. So, let’s get to mashin’!

First, start out with raw, peeled, and cut Russet potatoes.
You can use other types of potatoes, but Russets (or Idaho) potatoes have a
higher starch content and less moisture, which then give you a fluffier mashed
potato. I cut mine up rather large, as smaller pieces absorb more water, plus
it’s easier. I do not fill up my
pressure cooker more than ½ - ¾ full, as per my cooker’s instructions.

Next, I add about 1 cup of water to the pot. I don’t
remember what my cooker’s instructions say for water amount, but 1 cup seems to
ring a bell (check your cooker’s instructions). When you pressure cook, the
little bit of water at the bottom of the pot turns to steam, which is really
the cooking agent behind pressure cooking. If you ‘d like more information regarding the
physics and engineering behind pressure cooking, check out Miss Vickie’s site.

I then lock the lid on my pressure cooker, set the burner to
med-high, and let the cooker come to pressure. Once the pressure indicator pops up on
my pressure cooker (yellow button), I turn the burner heat down to med-low and
start timing. After 10 minutes, I do what’s called a “quick release” to vent
the steam.

The quick release method is great for dishes that don’t have
to depressurize naturally, unlike my Lima Bean Soup. There are many
dishes that call for the quick release method, which really makes using a
pressure cooker a time-saver.

After the steam has vented and the pressure indicator drops down,
I unlock and open the lid AWAY from me. I give the potatoes a poke or two with
a fork to make sure they are done (if not, bring back up to pressure and cook a
few more minutes). If they are done, I prop the lid back on the cooker allowing
for a gap to drain the water and drain. After draining, the potatoes are ready
for mashing in whatever way you are used to.

I’m old school and use a hand held masher, leaving a few
lumps. Add some butter, cream/milk, salt and pepper, and I’m ready to eat in
less than half the time it would have taken me to boil/steam the potatoes to
old fashioned way.

Hope I'm not too late! I've never used my slow cooker to make mashed potatoes as it would take forever for the potatoes to cook and I'm not that patient. LOL!

But it can be done! Just peel and cut your potatoes, put them in the slow cooker, cover them with water, and set your cooker on "High". It could take 3-4 hours to cook those potatoes, you'll know they are done when you can easily pierce them with a fork. Drain and then mash as usual per your own recipe.

When making a soup in a pressure cooker, (like lima bean soup or split pea soup) I'm always concerned about placing the food directly on the bottom of the pressure cooker. I always feel it necessary to put a tray or steamer rack on the bottom of my Fagor pressure cooker just to raise the food off of the bottom so it won't stick or burn -- is this a legitimate concern and legitimate method to deal with this concern?

I've never had a problem with any of the dishes I've made in my pressure cooking burning. I've never used a rack...just dump it in and cook! I think you'll be fine as long as there is enough liquid in the pressure cooker to prevent scorching/burning. For mashed potatoes, I use a cup of water.